Stay Alive
by ArinnaVal
Summary: Stella is a mermaid and Noctis is a human Prince. They met after his ship sank into the sea. She was trying to save him, but that could cause her punishment.


_**A/N: This fic is a new territory for me. It's an idea of one of my friends - Beth. She loves that couple and make me love them too. So Beth, I wish you happy birthday with this fic! You know that this is not going to be the last one. I chose to start with it, cause I know how much you love the idea of the mermaids. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  
**_

_**Now about this fic:**_

_**Name: Stay Alive  
**_

_**Author: ArinnaVal (idea - Warangel88).**_

_**Rating: T  
**_

_**Story Summary: **_**Stella is a mermaid and Noctis is human Prince. They met after his ship sank into the sea. She was trying to save him, but that could cause her punishment.**

_**Couple: **__**Stella/Noctis **_

_**Warnings: AU and possibly OOC. **_

* * *

He was dead.

Noctis was sure when he had seen the last rays of the sun peering through the water. His ship had sank into the sea, and he was not sure if there was anyone else left alive. Then something hard hit his head, and he fell into the sea. Then the water swallowed him.

Now… what was that? What was that face leaning over him? Whose lips were touching his with a soft tenderness? He opened his eyes and saw the face of an angel. The light of the sun made her golden hair shine. Her eyes were sapphire-blue, and her pink lips spread into a soft smile.

Noctis felt her hand skimming over his face and touching him as if he were something precious.

'Wake up, my Prince.' Her voice caressed his skin and made him feel comfortable. 'Wake up…'

Noctis opened his eyes and blinked a couple of times before he could see her clearly. Then his senses came back to him and he could feel the hardness of the stone beneath him. His shirt was gone, and he was left with only his pants. Noctis shook his head and tried to talk, but he just coughed. Two soft hands helped him turn on his left side while he spat out the seawater left in his lungs.

'Careful.' The same melodic voice caressed his soul. Noctis lay on his back and gazed at the beautiful face leaning over him.

'Who are you?' His voice was thick, but the beautiful creature just smiled. She buried her hands into his hair and he had the opportunity to look at her closely. Her upper body was naked. Her breasts were covered only with some kind of green material that resembled a bra, but not exactly. It was something in the form of a shell.

'I'm Stella.' Her melodic voice, and her hands, ruffling his hair, brought him calmness. 'I'm a mermaid.' She giggled and lifted him up a bit, letting him see her green fin.

'This is impossible,' Noctis uttered and stared at her beautiful face. 'You are…'

'I'm real, and I could be killed because I saved you.' Stella shrugged and let him sit on the stone. She sat too, and Noctis could see that they were not that far away from the beach. 'I couldn't let you die, my Prince.' She batted her eyelashes and looked at him shyly.

'I'm Noctis.' He murmured, mesmerized by her lips. 'Why could you be killed?'

'We can't save people.' Stella shook her head. 'It's a rule.'

'Then why did you save me?' He hesitated, but then touched her face. He wanted to be sure that she was real. 'Why did you do it?'

'Because I couldn't let you die.' Stella closed her eyes and leaned on his palm.

'Why?' He insisted.

'You are my Prince.' She shrugged and looked at him. 'You are the Prince of the people who live here.'

'You know who I am?' Noctis knew that he had to pull back, but he could not stop touching her.

'We know.' Stella nodded, and sadness filled her eyes. 'I have to go now.'

'Wait!' Noctis grabbed her hand. 'You said that they could kill you. Who are they? Who are you?'

'The sea people.' Stella tilted her head. 'I really have to go!'

'No!' Noctis screamed, but she was already gone.

He waited for her to show up every night after that. He was there every day and every night.

One week passed.

Then another one.

The mermaid who had stolen his heart was gone. Noctis could not remember worrying about someone as much as he was worrying about her now. Her people would kill her, just because she had saved his life. He owed her so much, and he just did not know how to help her; he was not even sure if she was alive.

It was the end of the third week on the beach. Noctis had lost hope, but just then, he saw something in the water. Noctis narrowed his eyes and dove into the sea. He swam towards a motionless body floating in the water. The moment he caught sight of it, he knew that it was her; it was Stella. However, when he pulled her back to shore and onto the sand, he saw that she was not a mermaid anymore. Instead of her fin, she had legs.

'Stella?' Noctis held her face, but it was motionless. 'Stella!' he cried, and shook her shoulders. Again – nothing. Noctis bent over and his lips touched hers. He breathed into her mouth. Then he tried again…

She coughed, and he rolled her onto her left side so she could spit out the water left in her lungs. Stella shook in his hands, and Noctis threw his shirt onto her bare shoulders. She sat up and leaned on him.

'It hurts.' Stella cried, and her voice sounded different now. 'My eyes… My body…'

'Why are you human, Stella?' Noctis pulled her closer. 'Why are you like this now?'

'They killed me.' She whispered. 'That was my punishment. When a mermaid becomes human, we lose our ability to swim. We can't breathe and we…die.'

'They punished you because you saved me?'

'No!' Stella shook her head again. She looked up at him. 'They punished me because I fell in love with you. I fell in love with a human; it's forbidden.'

'Oh…' Noctis stared at her beautiful sapphire eyes. She was telling him the truth.

'But you saved me.' Stella smiled, and that smile reached into his heart. 'Do you love me, my Prince?'

'Noctis,' he corrected her once again. Then his lips touched hers again, but this time it was a real kiss. She was not a dream anymore. She was real.

He was alive, and just now he could breathe again.

* * *

**_Beta: Alex_**


End file.
